DJ Yoav Kutner played "Creep" often on Israeli radio, having been introduced to the song by a EMI representative, and it became a national hit.
According to Radiohead bassist Colin Greenwood, singer Thom Yorke wrote "Creep" while studying at Exeter University in the late 1980s.
Guitarist Jonny Greenwood said that the song was inspired by a girl that Yorke had followed around and who unexpectedly attended a Radiohead performance.
The chord progression and melody in the verse of "Creep" is similar to that of "The Air That I Breathe", a 1972 song recorded by the Hollies.
Songwriters Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood sued and received co-writing credits and a percentage of the song's royalties.